OT: Rugby World Cup kicks off today

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

In the Rugby World Cup opener, host New Zealand's All Blacks kick off against Tongo. A great sport. On tape delay Sunday (believe 1 pm ET), NBC will broadcast the US opener against favored Ireland. USA Rugby's Eagles are a decided underdog, but have been improving and could benefit from some agile, ex-gridders switching over to rugby post-college careers. In the absence of massive US upsets and a World Cup title, anyone but Australia.

 

[jbdphi]

Anyone but Australia? That's rough mate. I was in Oz for the RWC when they lost to England. The entire country was crushed. I'll be barracking for the Green and Gold.

 

[Adios]

I am going to have to watch New Zealand.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Anyone but Australia? That's rough mate. I was in Oz for the RWC when they lost to England. The entire country was crushed. I'll be barracking for the Green and Gold.

Mate this, may Australia, its' bogans and other prisoner descendants' Wallobies followers once again drown in misery. Kiwis yes, very likeable people and team, Aussies after more than most Americans' brief visits to the prison colony or few encounters with far too many of the left overs, no thanks!

 

[jbdphi]

Hate to tell you but Aussies and Kiwis are far more alike than they are different. Kind of like Canadians with the US.

 

[KingNittany]

Count on South Africa making a strong showing. Go Springbucks!

I've done a lot of work down there and those guys take their Rugby seriously, should have seen it when they won it all a few tears back.

 

[Adios]

Is it possible that gridiron football ("space age rugby" in my mind) can become popular in rugby powerhouse countries?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Hate to tell you but Aussies and Kiwis are far more alike than they are different.

Yup, except in the key Kiwis are far more likeable versus the too many loud, slovenly Aussie bogan (redneck equivalent) tolerable category. Spending a fair amount of time in both countries, working with and living among both Kiwis and Aussies, NZ and Kiwis win out hands down. Should the US Eagles somehow pull off an incredible upset over the Wallabies, quietly observing the Aussies' misery would be highly entertaining.

 

[jbdphi]

OK, full disclosure. I'm married to an Aussie. She a Sydney-sider, not a bogun, and as pleasant as you can imagine. That being said, I completely get where you are coming from on the "bogun" population. I think the big difference between Oz and NZ is that Oz is so much bigger and spread out, there are a ton more boguns to be found in the place. I lived in Melbourne for a year and Sydney for two more so know the country pretty well. I've also spent several weeks in NZ mostly as a tourist and completely agree that Kiwis are lovely people. But when it comes to rugby, I'll still be barracking for the Wallabies to take it all, boguns or not (assuming the Eagles don't have a realistic chance). Just like my wife cheers for US teams if Australia isn't in the mix.

 

[Adios]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football_in_Australia

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Not entirely likely, but "Could rugby union take off in the US?" BBC's pre-World Cup take on the prospects for rugby growth in the States. jbdphi - glad you found a winner, may she not be too disappointed.

 

[CTPride]

Cant hurt putting ex football players out there for the US.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

First the good news for the US, after falling in a very solid opening performance against top-tier Ireland (10-22) our Eagles rebounded with a Rugby World Cup match win Friday (the 3rd World Cup win ever) over lower ranked Russia, 13-6 Red, White and Blue.

Now the not so great news, today Ireland upset the US amateurs' next opponent Australia. As one Irishman ever so eloquently observed, "Well, we (IRL) seem to have absolutely kicked the puck (sic) out of them." In the interim, Ireland's pounding should take a bit of the bluster out of a few too many typically cocky Aussies at work for a few days. Up Ireland, Go USA!